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(HoModeU S. BEERY.

PLATFORM FOR RAILROAD CARS. No; 290,516. RY Patented Dec. 1-8, 1883.

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/II.\U' N ATTORNEYS.

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ATENT SAMUEL M. BEERY, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND ISAACMASON SMITH, OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 290,516, dated December18, 1883.

Application filed October 22,1883. (No model.)

To on whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL M. Bunny, of Omaha, in the county of Douglasand State of Nebraska, have invented a new and Improved Platform forRailroad-Oars, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

The object of this invention is to devise means whereby the space leftbetween the ends of the platforms of cars as ordinarily constructed maybe entirely closed, so that there will be no danger to passengers inpassing from one car to the other; and to this end the inventionconsists, principally, in the employment of sliding platforms arrangedfor closing said space.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of rcfcrenccindicatecorresponding parts in both the figures.

Figurel is an inverted plan view of the ends of the bottoms of tworailroad-cars having my improved sliding"spring-platihrms appliedthereto; and Fig. 2 is a sectional elevavation of the same, taken on theline at a: of Fig. 1.

A A represent the bottom boards of two railroad-cars, which boards aresecured upon the edge timbers or sills 13 B.

Between the sills B B are secured the crosstimbcrs C G, to which aresecured the parallel bars I) 1), between which the draw-heads of thecars (not shown) are held. In these cross-timbers G C are fitted, also,the rods E E, which support the edges of the platforms F F. Theseplatforms F F are supported in the center upon the friction-rollers a,a, placed upon and attached to the upper side of the parallel bars 1) D,as shown clearly in Fig. 2. The platforms F F are attached to the bars EE by the staples b b, which are loose upon the bars E E, and the saidbars E Eare headed or hooked at their forward ends, as shown at c e, toprevent the platforms F F from being forced off from the bars E E by theaction of the springs G G, which are placed upon the rods E E betweenthe cross-timbers C and the ofi'sets d d, in the under side of theplatforms F F, formed by making in the platforms the notches or cut-awayplaces (1 d, as shown clearly in the drawings. The enter edges of theplatforms F F are faced with the bands e c, of iron, to prevent themfrom being jammed or splintered in coupling the cars, and each platformis provided at the edge with a friction-ball, held in the cup 9, andheld in place by the band of iron e, the band being provided with asuitable hole, 72, smaller than the ball, through which the ballprotrudes a short distance, as shown clearly in the drawings, so thatthe balls will take the friction between the edges of the platforms FFat all times, and especially when the cars are rounding curves in therailroad. At the side edges the platforms F F are cut away to form thespaces j j, in which the steps to the cars are to be fitted. The springsG G- serve to constantly force the platforms F F outward upon the rods EE, and to hold them forced outward, so that when the cars are coupledthe edges of the platform will 001110 fairly togcther, thus closing allspace between the cars, so that there will be no danger of stepping orfalling between the cars in passing from one car to another.

In coupling the cars, the springs G G yield 7 5' and permit theplatforms F F to slide backward sulllciently upon the rods E E to permitthe couplers to come together to effect the connecting of the cars; andin rounding curves in the railroad, the springs also yield, so that theplatforms will not interfere with the free turning of the cars.

The rods E E may beheld to the cross-pieces C G by any suitable means,but Iprcfer to employ the staples k k, and to head or bend the rear endsof the rods, as shown at ll, which hooks or heads come against the rearedges of the cross-pieces G 0, where they are held by the staples m m,as shown in Fig. 2; or, in stead of the staples L is, suitable boxesmight go be used, and instead of the heads 0 c, I might usg nuts screwedupon the forward ends of the re s.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters-Patent- 1. The combination, with a car-bottom, of thecross-timbers O C, carrying rods'E E, the parallel bars D 1), havingside rolls a, and the spring-pressed platforms F, having offsets (l andnotches d, as shown and described.

2. The sliding platform F, supported in the. ors a (I, placed upon theparallel bars D D, in 10 center upon theiriotioirrollers a (I, placedupon combination with the springs G G,- placed upthe bars I) I),substantially as and l'orthe puron the rods 11) 1* between the rear edgeof the poses described. platform and the front of the eross-piece O, 53. The sliding platforms F, provided at their substantially as andforthe purposes set forth. adjacent edges with the lrietion-balls f,suh- I SAMUEL M. BEERY.

stantially as and for the purposes set forth. \Vitnesses 4. The)latlorni F )laced n 3011 the bars E ll'lnnwiin MAYNARD 1 1 1 V 7 E, andsupported in the center upon the rollt 'lnnonoma E. JONES.

